Pablo Torre explains why CBS interview served as catalyst for Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson story

From the beginning of their relationship, many viewed the relationship between Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson suspiciously. That’s largely because of their age gap, but it’s gained more attention since he became the head coach at North Carolina. Then, after appearing on an awkward CBS Sunday Morning interview, it blew up.

In that interview, Belichick was promoting a new book. His relationship came up and at that point, Hudson cut in and said they wouldn’t be speaking about that, making for an incredibly awkward moment. As reporter Pablo Torre would go on to explain on PFT PM, that interview proved to be a catalyst in the story.

“My phone blew up,” Pablo Torre said. “My phone blew up because I was reporting the story without that and then that happens and suddenly the floodgates are opened. So, just to paint sort of the network effect when CBS tries to do a puff piece and she blows it up and she’s on tape, and there it is again, 30 more minutes that CBS Sunday Morning will not release because that’s not the type of show they do. Well, guess what? There’s a lot of other interest in the story of that day that wasn’t merely about that day. It was about the way that day echoed so many other days that people had.”

Torre pointed back to Belichick’s brief media career between coaching opportunities. At that point, they were already together and there have been reports that she was working as his de facto agent. That included getting herself into a Super Bowl commercial alongside him. Belichick has since addressed her role, explaining that she does help with personal opportunities but not football ones.

“The whole idea of Bill Belichick launching this media career last offseason after he is thrown out of the NFL,” Torre said. “And launches about a half dozen other media ventures with people who all have to encounter, and then effectively work for Jordon Hudson, who is treating them in parallel ways to the ways we saw just in glimpses on that CBS Sunday Morning interview. I mean, it’s that.”

The interview and fallout led to another increase in scrutiny around Belichick and his relationship. Torre himself reported that Hudson was banned from North Carolina facilities. That came with notable pushback, though. It was also reported that in the wake of the interview, that Belichick and North Carolina looked for outside PR help.

“Then the other node in this power dynamic are the people around Bill Belichick right now in North Carolina, who are saying to themselves, ‘Okay. Even if we regard this man as our Logan Roy.’ This is my translation. As in someone we’re around all the time but very afraid of, afraid to tell the truth to. The descent of every outlet. By the way, the New York Times is now here. Beyond People. Everybody’s in the pool now, right? The descent of all these outlets means he cannot plausibly be ignorant of at least one key disaster being the CBS thing. So, now there’s a moment. For change to happen behind the scenes if we can actually tell the truth about what it’s been like for us now being the people around Bill Belichick at Carolina,” Torre said.

“So, across the map, everyone’s seeing an opportunity. Everyone’s more willing to talk. Everyone’s now effectively unable to keep themselves from calling me because I’ve been talking to them already, and say, ‘Look, it’s actually even more ridiculous, and now we have the ability to not seem like out of nowhere bomb throwers. We are actually in a long line of people who have experienced something like this.'”

It’s still unclear where the Belichick-Hudson saga goes from here. He’s set to coach the Tar Heels this upcoming season. However, it looks like he’ll be doing that under a media microscope for his off-field relationships.